Befred Sportsbook will be celebrating the launch of its Ohio sports betting app on Jan. 1 — the first day of legal sports betting in Ohio — with an all-day party in Cincinnati, home of Betfred’s market-access partner, the Bengals.
The New Year’s Day event for new users of Betfred Sportsbook kicks off at noon at Fowling Warehouse Cincinnati, a combo bar and recreational complex featuring the football-meets-bowling game known as fowling.
Those who register and receive verification for a Betfred Sportsbook Ohio account before Jan. 1 will get an invitation to the free launch event and earn a $20 bonus bet.
Betfred to give away $10,000 in bets, Bengals tickets at launch event
The Jan. 1 Betfred Sportsbook launch party will feature raffle giveaways, and there will be betting competitions throughout the day to decide who is “Ohio’s Best Bettor.” You can sign up for a ticket to attend through the event’s Eventbrite page.
Attendees can win tickets to the Cincinnati Bengals’ Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 2, as well as for the regular season finale on Jan. 8 against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor.
Betfred will also be giving away $10,000 in bet credits (or, as they call them, “Fred Bets”) at the party.
The event promises that “former and current Cincinnati stars” will be in attendance. The only star named in the promotional materials is a pretty big one — Bengals Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Munoz.
Those who attend can also score exclusive Bengals/Betfred merch and play fowling all day for free. The event runs until 8 p.m.
Betred Ohio Sportsbook bonuses worth up to $1,131
Along with the $20 bonus bet offer for new registrations, Betfred has a welcome offer package worth up to $1,111.
With the welcome offer, new Ohio bettors will be credited with a $111 bet credit after placing an initial bet of at least $50. From there, customers are refunded 50% of their losses (up to $200 a week) for five straight weeks.
Those refund “bonuses” add up to $1,000 over five weeks, though, of course, you’ll be losing at least $2,000 to claim them. Still, it’s a nice safety net for new users who may want to experiment with some riskier bets.
Bengals opted out of applying for Ohio retail sportsbook license
Betfred, which has origins stretching back to its UK founding in 1967, was among the first online sportsbook operators to be fully licensed to launch in Ohio on Jan. 1.
The Cincinnati Bengals announced their partnership with Betfred in July. The Bengals were the first pro team to apply for a sports betting license in Ohio.
While other pro sports franchises in the state applied for retail sportsbook licenses, the Bengals opted to apply only for an online sportsbook license. Representatives for the team said they were passing on applying for a retail license due to NFL rules prohibiting in-person sports betting at NFL stadiums. (Some teams have worked around the rules by placing their sportsbooks just off stadium grounds.)
By the time the Bengals season opened in September, Betfred signage was featured throughout Paycor Stadium and the company’s logo has been prominently featured on the backdrop during media appearances by the players and coaches at the stadium.
Betfred is also the sports betting sponsor of the Denver Broncos and MLB’s Colorado Rockies.
